A former so-called "Raisin Bomber" (Rosinenbomber), a historic DC-3 Dakota airplane now used for tourist flights, arriving in front of the terminal building of the Tempelhof airport in Berlin.

By David Rising, Associated Press Writer

BERLIN  Tempelhof Airport has been many things to Berlin — a lifeline to German areas cut off after World War I, a center of the city's defense in World War II, and the hub of the airlift that ensured West Berlin's survival during the Cold War.

But for 85 years, it has always been an airport.

That will change Thursday, when the last flights leave and Tempelhof is officially closed. The future of the 900-acre (365 hectare) site is uncertain.

Proposals have included turning the airfield and building — one of the biggest in the world, protected as a historical landmark — into a luxury spa, some condos, a museum, a park, a trade center or even the centerpiece of a new Olympic bid.

"Tempelhof is nothing more and nothing less than the cradle of aviation," said Ralf Kunkel, a spokesman for Berlin's airports. "A very big and important chapter of European aviation is going to end."

Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, who heads a left-wing coalition that includes ex-communists, has been trying to close Tempelhof for years despite fierce opposition from the conservative opposition and citizens' groups.

The city also plans to close its biggest airport, Tegel, and route all flights to a new hub just outside the city, which is being created by expanding the former East Berlin's Schoenefeld airport.

"The next chapter has already begun," Kunkel said. "Right now we are building a new airport for the German capital ... to be opened in 2011."

But many still question the wisdom of closing down centrally located Tempelhof, even as other cities like London have built new city airports in recent years.

In an April referendum, 60.2% voted in favor of keeping the historic airport open, but only 21.7% of Berlin's 2.4 million voters turned out — below the minimum required to make the ballot valid.

Karin von Wysiecki was evacuated by the British from Tempelhof in 1948 as a six-year-old to stay with relatives in Hannover after the Soviets blockaded West Berlin.

She stood in the main hall as workers geared up for Thursday's closing gala, wondering if there was really anything to celebrate.

"I've been here for a long time, more than an hour, just watching and seeing my life pass before my eyes," she said. "The past is important, but I think Tempelhof still has far more potential for the future as an airport."

Tempelhof opened as an airfield in October 1923, but had already been used for flights well before that — with French aviation pioneer Armand Zipfel making a flight from the field in 1909, followed by American aviator Orville Wright later that year.

Its beginnings were humble: a makeshift runway and administration building and a pair of hangars, all made of wood. The first flights connected Berliners with East Prussia, separated from the rest of Germany after World War I.

Today's vast Tempelhof site took shape under the Nazis when Adolf Hitler decided to create an "air stadium" — not only a major European hub but a symbol of Germany's might — and transformed it into a monolith with massive stone blocks and pillars.

Starting in 1936 under the guidance of architect Ernst Sagebiel, the 3 million square foot (285,000 square meter) building, measuring 4,000 feet (1,230 meters) from one end to another, was built in only two years.

It boasted 49 buildings, 7 hangars and 9,000 offices and from the sky took the form of the then-ubiquitous Nazi eagle.

During the war, fighter planes scrambled from its runways in desperate but futile attempts to protect the capital from Allied bombers.

After the war, Tempelhof lay in the American sector of the divided city and became a major U.S. Air Force base.

When the Soviets blockaded all land and water traffic to Berlin in an attempt to squeeze the western allies out of the city in 1948, Tempelhof was central to the massive U.S.-led airlift.

In one of the most significant Cold War confrontations, the allies flew some 280,000 flights keeping the 2 million citizens of Berlin supplied with fuel and food until the Soviets backed down after 11 months.

The Air Force pulled out of Tempelhof in 1993, after German reunification, but the building still sports features from the U.S. era, including an indoor basketball court with a "Berlin Braves — USAF" logo.

In recent years, it has been home to airlines offering short-hop business flights; and the Air Service Berlin, which flies tourists on sightseeing tours 2,000 feet (600 meters) over the city in a vintage Douglas DC-3 that was used by the British RAF during the airlift.

Pilot Thomas Wolber, stepping off a plane after one of the last flights, said he was looking forward to continuing the DC-3 flights from Schoenefeld, but said nothing could replace Tempelhof.

"It's definitely the best airport I've ever been flying out of," said Wolber, whose plane will be making the final flight from Tempelhof on Thursday night. "The whole situation is very private — you're always very close with the passengers, and close to the aviation part of it, and that's going to be totally different in Schoenefeld."

Kunkel said he expects a decision sooner rather than later on the future of Tempelhof, which sits in a prime location close to the center. It will cost 9 million euros ($11.2 million) per year just to keep the building secure and its facilities in order.

"I think it will go quickly — it is an incredibly beautiful property in the middle of the city," he said.

But for Klaus Eisermann, a ground-crew worker at Tempelhof for 45 years, it doesn't matter what it becomes if it can't remain an airport.

"I still can't make my peace with this decision — it's inexplicable," he said. "What is to come next? There's nothing to look ahead to. It's the worst case."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Reader Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification.

Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.